NW China's Xinjiang sees foreign trade value up 42.7 pct in Q1

URUMQI, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Total import and export value of goods in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region grew by 42.7 percent year on year to 93.63 billion yuan (about 13.2 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of 2024, the second highest growth rate among all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China, official data showed on Thursday.

In March 2024 alone, Xinjiang's foreign trade value grew by 27.3 percent, registering growth for 29 consecutive months.

From January to March, the region had conducted trade with 193 countries and regions across the globe. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan proved its major trading partners during this period. Xinjiang's trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative rose by 41.7 percent year on year, accounting for 91.9 percent of Xinjiang's total foreign trade value in Q1.

In terms of export items, mechanical and electrical products saw significant growth, with the growth rate reaching 45.8 percent. Meanwhile, imports of ore, unwrought copper and copper materials, and agricultural products had increased by 9 percent, 169 percent and 36.3 percent, respectively.